Nothing Phone (3) vs Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

Nothing Phone (3)

A sharp 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz and up to 2,000 nits peak brightness delivers a smooth, vibrant viewing experience.

• The LTPO OLED panel is bright, responsive, and color-accurate — a significant improvement over the Phone (2) display
• Peak brightness of 2,000 nits is good but falls behind Samsung and Apple flagships hitting 3,000 nits

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The 6.77-inch AMOLED display is a highlight, with 120Hz refresh rate, 3,000 nits peak HDR brightness, and 480Hz touch sampling. A massive upgrade from the Phone 2a's 1,300 nits, it delivers excellent outdoor readability, rich colors, and smooth scrolling. FHD+ resolution is standard for the price class but perfectly adequate.

• 3,000 nits peak HDR brightness with 120Hz refresh — excellent outdoor readability and smooth scrolling
• 480Hz touch sampling rate delivers responsive input — particularly noticeable in gaming and fast scrolling
• Nothing OS monochrome aesthetic underuses the AMOLED's color capabilities — feels understated for such a vibrant panel

Nothing Phone (3)

The triple camera system co-developed with Samsung is a major upgrade, though processing still trails the best in challenging conditions.

• The 50MP main camera produces detailed, well-exposed shots in good light that compete with phones costing $200 more
• Telephoto lens addition brings welcome versatility with clean 3x optical zoom results
• Night mode and low-light processing lag behind Google and Samsung — images lack the computational magic of Pixel phones
• Video stabilization and dynamic range are adequate but noticeably behind iPhone and Galaxy flagships in side-by-side tests

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The camera system is the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro's biggest selling point. The 50MP main sensor with OIS delivers detailed, vibrant daylight shots, while the 50MP 3x periscope telephoto is virtually unheard of under $500 — producing excellent portraits and zoom shots. The 50MP selfie camera is above average. However, the 8MP ultrawide is a weak link, low-light performance divides opinion, and video is limited to 4K/30fps.

• 50MP 3x periscope telephoto is a genuine rarity under $500 — excellent for portraits with natural bokeh
• 50MP main sensor with OIS produces detailed, vibrant 12.5MP binned shots with good dynamic range in daylight
• 8MP ultrawide is a clear weak link — cannot record 1080p/60fps and lacks detail
• Video limited to 4K/30fps — no 4K/60fps option, and telephoto lacks 4K video entirely

Nothing Phone (3)

Snapdragon 8 Elite puts the Nothing Phone (3) in the same performance tier as Samsung Galaxy S25 and OnePlus 13.

• Snapdragon 8 Elite provides genuinely flagship-level performance — gaming, multitasking, and app launches are all top-tier
• Nothing OS 3 is lightweight enough to let the hardware shine, with smooth animations and minimal background resource consumption
• Thermals are well managed with the aluminum frame acting as a heat sink, keeping sustained performance respectable

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 handles everyday tasks — social media, browsing, multitasking — without issue. However, it's the weakest area of the phone. Benchmark scores (~810K AnTuTu) trail competitors like the Poco X7 Pro, and gaming at high settings can stutter. Some reviewers experienced occasional lag, while others found it perfectly smooth for non-gaming use.

• Smooth for everyday tasks — social media, browsing, and productivity run without noticeable stutter
• Gaming performance actually worse than the older Phone 2a — Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 trails Dimensity 7200 Pro in GPU tasks
• Occasional sluggishness and lag reported during extended use sessions